The poetical works of William H. C. Hosmer :: :: University of Virginia Library

WILLIAM P. HAWES.

Well may we cherish a sad thought of thee,
Oh, Hawes! called hence ere finished was thy task;
Where can we find a soul so full of glee—
Wit with so fine and keen an edge, I ask?
The subtle essence of true genius lurks
Both in thy tuneful prose and careless lays;
Pervaded by rich humor are thy works,
Like that which on the page of Elia plays
Too soon wert thou arrested in thy course,
Cut down at noon on life's great battle-field.
Well may we mourn when such a fount is sealed,
By death untimely frozen at its source!
Those who with thee the wreath of friendship twined,
Should not forget the loved ones left behind.